


You are my home but now you're gone

by Moonlight_Blue_Rose



Series: Whumptober 2020 [8]
Category: One Piece
Genre: Canonical Character Death, Families of Choice, Feels, Gen, Whumptober 2020, dealing with grief
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-19
Updated: 2020-10-19
Packaged: 2021-03-09 00:08:33
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 449
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27105481
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Moonlight_Blue_Rose/pseuds/Moonlight_Blue_Rose
Summary: Whumptober2020: Prompt 19 (Survivor's guilt) & Prompt 23 (Exhaustion)The grave was towering over him, casting a long shadow which reminded Marco of when Whitebeard was still alive. Tall and proud and strong and always, always there.
Relationships: Fushichou Marco | Phoenix Marco & Shirohige | Whitebeard | Edward Newgate, Fushichou Marco| Phoenix Marco & Whitey Bay
Series: Whumptober 2020 [8]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1947574
Comments: 1
Kudos: 8
Collections: Whumptober 2020





	You are my home but now you're gone

**Author's Note:**

> Do I regret hurting Marco? Not in the slightest.

“Pops, I don’t know what to do.”

The grave was towering over him, casting a long shadow which reminded Marco of when Whitebeard was still alive. Tall and proud and strong and always, always there.

“I don’t know how to lead the crew, Pops. I’m not you.” He blinked, his vision blurry, and swallowed. “I can’t – I can’t keep everyone together like you.”

Marco was old. He has been on this crew for more than thirty years and has seen many things. He had seen old brothers and sisters leave and new ones arrive. He has seen how the world changes and he has seen the end of an era. But through all of this, Pops was a constant. Always a home to return to, someone to talk to, someone who has done more than enough for him and his siblings by just being there. But now he wasn’t. And Marco didn’t know what to do.

“We had planned to attack Blackbeard. Nakama killers need to be punished, right Pops? He killed Thatch and gave Ace to the marines. He stole your fruit, Pops. He stole it and I couldn’t do anything.”

Marco hated him. He hated him so much that the only thing on his mind those days were the plans to take him down. To avenge Thatch, Ace and everyone that died because of him. But…

“We failed, Pops.”

He was so tired.

“We failed and lost many people. He was too strong.” Whitebeard’s coat gently swayed with the wind and all Marco could see was Pops standing there with a wide smile and a gentle hand to pick him up. It hurt. It hurt so much.

Then Marco blinked once and before him stood a cold grave. He didn’t want to fight anymore. It’s been so long and Marco was tired. Nights were spent thinking and thinking and thinking but all it did was drag him down more and more.

Suddenly, he wondered if this was what Shanks and the rest of the Rogers’ felt like when their Captain died. It made him laugh, low and hollow, and didn’t stop the tears.

Minutes or hours later, someone familiar sat next to him and gentle fingers were running through his hair. So he leaned into her embrace and closed his eyes.

“Stay here.”

The voice was quiet and steady and he turned to her. Whitey Bay’s usually cold blue eyes were warm.

“Stay here. Protect this place. You’ve done more than enough, little one.”

He blinked the tears away and buried his face in her neck. His nod was a small one but he knew she understood when warm arms held him closer. She felt like home.


End file.
